Question #3: 'Is it allowed for the woman to put on make-up if she leaves her house wearing the hijāb?'

Shaykh al-Albāni answers:

'It is not permissible for the woman who does not wear hijāb, let alone who wears hijāb, to use the makeup of the disbeliever, the make-up of the rebellious and disobedient (to Allāh). When were you aware of some womenęs adornment called by a name for which Allāh did not send down an authority: 'make-up'? This is a word that we donęt know, not us nor your forefathers from before. Rather, it is a foreign word expressing an adornment for the rebellious and disobedient women of Europe; and our women ę except those of them whom Allāh protects ę unfortunately imitate decorating themselves with this adornment which the Islamic society is being affected by, namely make-up. So it is not permissible for the woman. And this reality is one of the strange ironies: in the road we see a woman wearing a decent hijāb (but) I donęt say the Islamically legislated hijāb; she ties what they call the ęishārbę ę or khimār which is the (correct) Arabic word ę covering her hair, her neck and so on, but she has face powder and lipstick on. This (wearing the hijāb) is against this (wearing make-up): two contradictory, conflicting matters that do not go together. What is the reason (for this type of occurrence)? It is one of two things: either ignorance and heedlessness of the Islamically legislated ruling or it is due to the womenęs following of the whisperings of shaytān.

Therefore, we firstly remind the women who suffer from this make-up. Then secondly, we remind the guardians of women such as a father or a husband or a brother, due to the fact that (the Prophet) (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: 'Everyone of you is a shepherd and everyone of you is responsible for his flock. So the man is a shepherd and he is responsible for his flock-' [1] to the end of the hadīth. Thus, the Arabic or general proverb states: 'The horse is from the horseman.' So you, the husband of the woman, it is not permissible for you to allow her to go out in this manner which puts to trial the middle-aged men, let alone the young men! And you, O man, O father, O brother, are supposed to be very jealous. Why? Because the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) used to say: 'A duyyūth will not enter Paradise.' [2] Why? Who is a duyyūth? He is the one who does not guard his womenfolk jealously.'